Cherry laurel plant named ‘Gajo’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Cherry Laurel plant named ‘Gajo’, characterized by its compact, upright and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and bushy growth habit; relatively small and very dark green-colored leaves; and numerous small white-colored flowers.

Botanical designation: Prunus laurocerasus.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Gajo’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of CherryLaurel, botanically known as Prunus laurocerasus and hereinafterreferred to by the name ‘Gajo’.

The new Cherry Laurel is a naturally-occurring branch mutation of thePrunus laurocerasus cultivar Otto Luyken, not patented. The new CherryLaurel was discovered and selected by the Inventor in a controlledoutdoor nursery environment in Zundert, The Netherlands during thesummer of 1996.

Asexual reproduction of the new Cherry Laurel by softwood cuttings in acontrolled environment in Zundert, The Netherlands since 2003, has shownthat the unique features of this new Cherry Laurel are stable andreproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Gajo has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations inenvironment and cultural practices such as temperature and lightintensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Gajo’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Gajo’ as a new and distinct cultivar of CherryLaurel:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and somewhat outwardly spreading plant        habit.    -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and bushy growth habit.    -   3. Relatively small and very dark green-colored leaves.    -   4. Numerous small white-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Cherry Laurel and the parent, the cultivar OttoLuyken, differ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Cherry Laurel are more compact and denser        than plants of the cultivar Otto Luyken.    -   2. Plants of the new Cherry Laurel have smaller leaves than        plants of the cultivar Otto Luyken.    -   3. Plants of the new Cherry Laurel have darker green-colored        leaves than plants of the cultivar Otto Luyken.

Plants of the new Cherry Laurel can also be compared to plants of thecultivar Zabeliana, not patented. Plants of the new Cherry Laurel differfrom plants of the cultivar Zabeliana in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Cherry Laurel are more upright than plants        of the cultivar Zabeliana.    -   2. Plants of the new Cherry Laurel have smaller leaves than        plants of the cultivar Zabeliana.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Cherry Laurel, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Cherry Laurel.

The photograph at the top of the first sheet comprises a sideperspective view of a typical plant of ‘Gajo’ grown in an outdoornursery.

The photograph at the bottom of the first sheet is a close-up view of atypical stem and leaves of ‘Gajo’.

The photograph on the second sheet is a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Gajo’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown in Zundert, The Netherlands, undercommercial practice in an outdoor nursery with day temperatures rangingfrom 2° C. to 12° C. and night temperatures ranging from −6° C. to 4° C.Plants were grown for about six years when the photographs anddescription were taken. In the following description, color referencesare made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition,except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Prunus laurocerasus cultivar Gajo.-   Parentage: Naturally-occurring branch mutation of the Prunus    laurocerasus cultivar Otto Luyken, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By softwood cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About 50 days at 15° C.        -   Root description.—Fibrous, thick; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Moderate branching; medium density.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form/habit.—Evergreen shrub. Compact, upright and            somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit; inverted triangle.            Freely basally branching habit; dense and bushy growth            habit.        -   Plant height.—About 45.5 cm.        -   Plant width (spread).—About 39 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 22.2 cm. Diameter: About            3.7 mm. Internode length: About 1 cm. Strength: Strong.            Texture, developing: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, mature:            Woody, rough. Color, developing: 138A to 143A. Color,            mature: 197A.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.        -   Length.—About 5.2 cm.        -   Width.—About 1.5 cm.        -   Shape.—Narrowly elliptic.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Margin.—Entire; revolute; slightly undulate.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Glands.—Location: On lower leaf surfaces near the leaf base.            Quantity: Two to four per leaf. Shape: Circular. Diameter:            About 1 mm. Color: 146A.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Color, upper surface.—139A; venation, 144B to 144C.        -   Color, lower surface.—146B to 146C; venation, 144B to 144C.        -   Petiole.—Length: About 6.5 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,            upper and lower surfaces: 144B to 144C.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type/habit.—Numerous single rotate flowers arranged            on terminal and axillary racemes; flowers face outwardly to            slightly upright. Racemes columnar in shape. Freely and            uniformly flowering habit with about 64 flowers developing            per inflorescence.        -   Fragrance.—Moderately fragrant; sweet.        -   Natural flowering season.—Continuously flowering during the            spring in The Netherlands.        -   Postproduction longevity.—Flowers last about ten days on the            plant. Flowers not persistent.        -   Flower buds.—Height: About 3 mm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm.            Shape: Broadly ovate. Color: 155D.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 8.3 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 2.4 cm.        -   Flower diameter.—About 8 mm.        -   Flower depth.—About 4 mm.        -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single            whorl. Length: About 3 mm. Lobe width: About 2.75 mm. Shape:            Broadly ovate to orbicular. Apex: Rounded. Margin: Entire.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color:            Developing petals, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 155D.            Fully expanded petals, upper and lower surfaces: Close to            155D.        -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single            whorl, fused towards the base; campanulate calyx. Length:            About 2 mm. Width: About 1.5 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Obtuse.            Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,            glabrous. Color, developing sepals, upper and lower            surfaces: 144C. Color, fully expanded sepals, upper and            lower surfaces: 144A to 144B.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 7.8 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.            Angle: About 35° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Texture:            Smooth, glabrous. Color: 144B to 144C.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 2 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Angle:            About 50° from vertical. Strength: Moderately strong.            Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 144C.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically            twelve. Filament length: About 3 mm. Anther shape: Broadly            oblong. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther color: 158D.            Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: 158C to 158D.            Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About            3 mm. Stigma shape: Club-shaped. Stigma color: 151C to 151D.            Style length: About 2.5 mm. Style color: 158D. Ovary color:            153C to 153D.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development have not been            observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Cherry Laurel have not    been noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Cherry    Laurel.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Cherry Laurel have been    observed to have good garden performance and tolerate rain, wind,    are winter-hardy to USDA Zone 5 and tolerate temperatures up to    about 30° C.

1. A new and distinct Cherry Laurel plant named ‘Gajo’ as illustratedand described.